Richard Hamilton
Richard Clay Hamilton (born February 14, 1978) is an American retired professional basketball player who played for 14 seasons in the NBA. He was a three-time NBA All-Star and won a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Playing career Hamilton played college basketball at the University of Connecticut from 1996-99. He was named the 1999 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after UConn's run to that year's national title. Hamilton was the 7th pick overall in the 1999 NBA draft and played for the Washington Wizards for his first three seasons as a professional. Hamilton, Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons were then traded to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Varda. Since the trade, Richard has become one of the NBA's top shooting guards, and helped the Pistons win the NBA Championship in 2004. Also, Hamilton was the leading scorer on the team. After fracturing his nose three times in the 2003-04 NBA season, Hamilton began wearing a protective mask. He has continued to wear the mask since it has become a symbol of strength. Hamilton says, "It's like my Superman cape."NBA Street Homecourt Xbox 360 Preview, NBA Street Homecourt Preview Hamilton is the only player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring in a game despite not making a single field goal. On January 6, 2005, Hamilton was 0-for-10 from the field, but hit 14-of-14 from the line to pace the Pistons in a 101-79 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.Memphis reaches .500 for first time this season On February 9, 2006, Hamilton earned his first selection to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard for the Eastern Conference. On December 27, 2006, Hamilton scored a career-high 51 points with 19-for-37 field goal shooting in a 151-145 triple-overtime Pistons loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.Knicks survive Hamilton's big night, beat Pistons in 3OTESPN - Detroit vs. New York Box Score, [[December 27], 2006] He represented the Eastern Conference for the second time at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. On February 17, 2008, Hamilton represented the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. On February 6, Hamilton was selected to be a part of the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, held on February 16 during All Star Weekend in New Orleans. He was defeated, however, by defending champion Jason Kapono. On May 13, 2008, Hamilton surpassed Isiah Thomas as the Pistons' all-time leading scorer in the playoffs.Pistons pull away late to advance to 6th straight conference finals On November 3, 2008 Hamilton signed a three-year, $34 million contract extension with the Pistons. The first two years of the contract is guaranteed and the third is partially. On February 7, 2009, Hamilton scored 38 points off the bench against the Milwaukee Bucks, the most by a Piston reserve in history. On March 13, 2009, Hamilton posted a career high 16 assists in a 99-95 overtime win against the Toronto Raptors. On February 26, 2017, the Detroit Pistons retired his No. 32 jersey. Career transactions * June 30, 1999: Drafted 7th overall by Washington Wizards in 1999 NBA Draft. * September 11, 2002: Traded by Washington along with Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Varda.- NBA.com - Player Movement Central 2002 Media appearances In the 2006-07 NBA season Hamilton appeared in the NBA Fundamentals series, hosted by TNT, where basketball players showcase certain aspects of the game. Hamilton explained the topic "movement without the ball" to shake off your defender. He was also a contestant on a recent episode of the game show series Wanna Bet?. He has also worked with many charities, including the Read to Achieve* program and reading books to children. Personal On October 31, 2007, Hamilton's girlfriend TJ Lottie gave birth to Richard Clay Hamilton II.http://blog.mlive.com/pistonsinsider/2007/11/no_sign_of_hamilton_in_orlando.html Early in the 2003-04 season, Hamilton suffered a fractured nose. His nose was fractured again in late February and he underwent nasal reconstructive surgery. The Pistons won the NBA championship that year and Hamilton now wears the mask as a sign of good luck.Ripcity32 -Official Site of NBA Superstar Richard Hamilton In April 2009, he filed a suit against former personal assistant and business manager Josh Nochimson, claiming that Nochimson stole over $1 million dollars by unauthorized use of Hamilton's credit card from 2003 to 2008.Rip Offers Details on Missing Million ESPN, April 3, 2009 See also *Photo Gallery - Photos featuring External links * * *Rip's Official Website *2006 Richard Hamilton interview Category:Born in 1978 Category:American basketball players Category:Small Forwards Category:Shooting Guards Category:Washington Wizards draft picks Category:National Basketball Association players Category:Players who wear/wore number 32 Category:Washington Wizards players Category:Detroit Pistons players Category:Players who won the NBA Championship Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:NBA All-Star participants Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Players who won the NCAA Championship